The present invention relates to fluid control apparatus for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
With reference to FIG. 8, the fluid control apparatus included in semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprises main components, i.e., a plurality of (e.g., three shown) massflow controllers 3 and one or a plurality of on-off valves 111, 112 disposed at the inlet side and outlet side of each massflow controller 3. The apparatus further additionally includes filters 113, check valves 114, etc.
The line (first line) 115 including the massflow controller 3 at the left side has one filter 113 at the inlet side of the controller 3 and one on-off valve 111 at the outlet side thereof. The line has one inlet and one outlet, The line (second line) 116 including the second massflow controller 3 from the left has two on-off valves 112 and one check valve 114 which are in the form of a block and one filter 113 at the inlet side of the controller 3, three on-off valves 111 at the outlet side thereof, and a bypass channel 118 provided between the inlet and outlet sides of the controller 3 and not extending through the controller 3. The line (third line) 117 including the massflow controller 3 at the right has two on-off valves 112 and one check valve 114 which are in the form of a block and one filter 113 at the inlet side of the controller 3, and two on-off valves 111 at the outlet side thereof. The lines 115, 116, 117 are connected to one another at the inlet side of the three controllers 3, while the outlet of the first line 115 is connected to one outlet of the second line 116.
As illustrated, tubes 119 are used for connecting the massflow controller 3 to the on-off valves 111, 112 and connecting the on-off valves 111 to each other. Tubes 119 are connected to each other by L-shaped pipe joint 120 or T-shaped pipe joint 121.
The fluid control apparatus shown in FIG. 8 is only one example. While fluid control apparatus comprise various lines, the lines constituting such apparatus are limited generally to the five kinds shown in FIG. 9 in view of the number and flow of fluids.
With reference to FIG. 9, a line 131 at the left end is adapted to pass one kind of fluid through a fluid controller 3 such as massflow controller. A line 132, the second from the left, passes two kinds of fluids through a fluid controller 3. The third from the left is a line 133 for passing two kinds of fluids through a fluid controller 3, with an evacuating channel 133a connected to the outlet side of the controller 3. The fourth from the left is a line 134 adapted to pass two kinds of fluids through a fluid controller 3 and including a bypass channel 134a provided between the inlet and the outlet of the controller 3 and not extending through the controller shown at the right end is a line 135 adapted to pass two kinds of fluids through a fluid controller 3 and including an evacuating channel 135a connected to the outlet side of the controller 3 and a bypass channel 135b provided between the inlet and the outlet of the controller 3 and not extending through the controller 3.
It is required that fluid control apparatus for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment be reduced in the space to be thereby occupied and in the volume of channels. For this reason, it is proposed to use joint members for connecting massflow controllers to on-off valves and for connecting on-off valves to one another without using tubes (integration).
The integration can be achieved by providing as blocks on-off valves constituting the five kinds of lines shown in FIG. 9 and connecting such valves in the form of blocks to one another without using any tube. An increase in the number of different kinds of parts, especially an increase in the number of kinds of on-off valves which are main components, is a great problem encountered in providing integrated and compacted lines.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid control apparatus which is integrated and compacted without using an increased number of different kinds of on-off valves which are the main components of the apparatus.
The present invention provides a fluid control apparatus which is characterized in that the apparatus comprises a plurality of fluid controllers, and a plurality of on-off devices arranged respectively at an inlet side and an outlet side of each of the fluid controllers, each of the on-off devices comprising one valve or a plurality of valves, with the adjacent valves connected to each other without using tubing, each of the on-off devices being one of five kinds including a 2-type on-off device having a two-port valve, a 2-3-type on-off device having a two-port valve and a three-port valve, a 2-3-3-type on-off device having a two-port valve and two three-port valves, a 3-3-type on-off device having two three-port valves, and a 3-3-3-type on-off device having three three-port valves, main bodies of two-port valves of all types of on-off devices being identical in configuration and each having an inlet and an outlet in a bottom face thereof, main bodies of three-port valves of all types of on-off devices being identical in configuration and each formed in a bottom face thereof with an inlet, an outlet always in communication with the inlet, and an inlet-outlet subopening.
The terms upper and lower (bottom) as used herein refer respectively to the upper and lower sides of FIGS. 3 and 4. However, these terms are used for the sake of convenience, the fluid control apparatus may be mounted as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 on a horizontal surface, or turned upside down when installed on a horizontal surface or when attached to a vertical surface.
According to the invention, all the on-off devices are divided into five kinds, while the valve main bodies constituting such devices can be of only two kinds in configuration. Each valve main body has a normally open or closed actuator attached thereto. The valves are of four kinds when the different types of actuators are considered.
The foregoing construction provides various fluid control apparatus which include five kinds of on-off devices wherein the valve main bodies are of two kinds in configuration, as will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.
In the case where two kinds of fluids are to be passed through a fluid controller 3, 2-2-type on-off devices 92, 92 are arranged respectively at the inlet side and outlet side of the controller 3. The first of the fluids (e.g., main gas) flows into the controller 3 via three-port valve 102, passes through the controller 3 and then reaches the next line (e.g. a process chamber) via three-port valve 102. The second fluid (e.g., purge gas) flows through two-port valve 101 and three-port valve 102 into the controller 3, from which the gas flows through the thee-port valve 102 and two-port valve 101 into the next line (e.g., a vent line).
In the case where two kinds of fluids are to be passed through a fluid controller 3, with an evacuating line 98a provided at the outlet side of the controller 3, a 2-3-type on-off device 92 is disposed at the inlet side of the controller 3, and a 2-3-3-type on-off device 93 at the outlet side of the controller 3. The first of the fluids (e.g., main gas) flows into the controller 3 via three-port valve 102, passes through the controller 3 and then reaches the next line (e.g. the process chamber) via one of the three-port valves. The second fluid (e.g. purge gas) flows into the controller through two-port valve 101 and three-port valve 102, passes through the controller 3 and thereafter reaches the next line via the two three-port valves 102, 102. The evacuating channel 98a is connected to the two-port valve 101 of the 2-3-3-type on-off device 93.
In the case where two kinds of fluids are to be passed through a fluid controller 3, with a bypass channel 99a bypassing the controller 3 and provided between the inlet and outlet thereof, a 3-3-type on-off device 94, 94 is disposed at each of the inlet and outlet of the controller 3. The first of the fluids (e.g., main gas) flows into the controller 3 via one of the three-port valves 102 of the inlet-side 3-3-type on-off device 94, passes through the controller 3, end then reaches the next line (e.g., process chamber) via one of the three-port valves 102 of the outlet-side 3-3-type on-off device 94. The second fluid (e.g. purge gas) flows into the fluid controller 3 via two three-port valves 102, 102, passes through the controller 3, then reaches the next line (e.g., vent line) by way of the two three-port valves 102, 102. The other three-port valves 102, 102 of the devices 94 at the inlet and outlet sides are interconnected by the bypass channel 99a having an on-off valve.
In the case where two kinds of fluids are to be passed through a fluid controller 3, with an evacuating channel 100a is provided at the outlet side of the controller 3 and with a bypass channel 100b provided between the inlet and outlet sides of the controller 3 to bypass the controller 3, a 3-3-type on-off device 94 is disposed at the inlet side of the controller 3, and a 3-3-3-type on-off device 95 at the outlet side thereof. The first of the fluids (e.g., process gas) flows into the controller 3 via one of the three-port valves 102 of the device 94, passes through the controller 3, and then reaches the next line (e.g., process chamber) by way of one of the three-port valves 102 of the 3-3-3-type on-off device 95. The second fluid (e.g., purge gas) flows into the controller 3 via the two three-port valves 102, 102, passes through the controller 3 and then reaches the next line (e.g., vent line) via two three-port valves 102, 102. The other three-port valve 102 of the 3-3-type on-off device 94 is connected to the remaining three-port valve 102 of the 3-3-3-type on-off device 95 by the bypass channel 100b. The evacuating channel 100a is further connected to this valve 102.
Thus, various fluid control apparatus are provided by the five kinds of on-off devices 91 to 95 which consist only of two kinds of valve main bodies 101, 102.